good evening. we may be two days away from christmas, but many americans are focused not on yuletide joy, but instead on guns. who has them, who's trying to get them and how they should be controlled. tonight, the nra and its supporters are doubling down. we're hearing reports of a rush at gun shows and stores across america today, people buying assault weapons before a possible ban. as nra executives fanned out across the air waves with a message of defiance. abc's david kerley is on the story. >> reporter: the nra today stuck by its guns, that every american school should have an armed guard. >> if it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to

protect our children, then call me crazy. >> the nra has blood on its hands! >> reporter: two days ago. amid protesters and refusing to take questions, the head of the nra unveiled this plan. belittled by some. today wayne lapierre defends himself. >> when that horrible monster tried to shoot his way into that school, if a good guy with a gun was there, he might have been able to stop them. >> reporter: the murder massacre in newtown, connecticut, has led some nra supporters to call for control of guns and magazine clips. the nra supporters blame the media, the entertainment culture, and the lack of mental health care are having none of it. >> so you're saying gun control shouldn't be part of this at all? >> congress will debate, but i think it's not part of the ultimate solution on this. >> reporter: at least one school district in new jersey will place armed guards in schools to the disapproval of the governor. >> you don't want to make this an armed camp for kids. i don't think that's a positive example for children.

>> reporter: our new abc washington news post pole shows a majority of americans continue to favor more restrictions on gun ownership. that may be the reason other americans are flocking to gun stores. shelves empty just this week at this north carolina store. >> we've never seen anything like this. we have the christmas business, the hunting season business, and now we have the political business. >> lapierre was pressed time and time again whether he would agree to one change in gun law, he either refused to answer or changed the subject. he finished by saying the gun is the tool. the problem is the criminal. >> let me ask you about another washington story. we're nine days away from going over the fiscal cliff. any progress to speak of today? >> there are a number of members of congress today asking that the president and the speaker try one more time. both republicans and democrats in the senate are saying the chances of that big debt-reducing deal really are lost. it's now a small deal, they expect it out of the senate probably later this week.

>> david kerley reporting from washington tonight. thank you. speaking of president obama, he attended the burial today of long-time hawaii senator, daniel inouye. it was a 19-gun salute when the senator's coffin arrived at the national memorial cemetery of the pacific. senator inouye was the first japanese american elected to both houses of congress. he was also the second longest serving senator in american history. he was 88 years old. >> the other big story we're following tonight, with a third of all americans traveling for the holidays, meteorologists are now worried about what could be the nightmare after christmas. two new storms are moving in. we'll get the forecast in a moment, but first here's abc's john schriffen with the mess the weather is already creating. >> reporter: it's the christmas trip turned nightmare for drivers on the east and west coast. in northern california with more snow expected to blanket the

sierra mountains tonight, cars are having trouble just staying on the road. >> the roads are pretty bad. there's a lot of spinouts further east. there's going to be chain control for the next two days at least going into christmas. >> reporter: with warmer temperatures in the bay area, the pounding rain has been the big hazard. near san jose, this bad accident happened after one driver going too fast, skidded across five lanes, crashing into the other. believe it or not, police say no one was hurt. >> people are still driving fast. you just got to watch out for them and slow down a little bit and anticipate the worst of what other people may do when they hit puddles or something. >> reporter: across the country, in syracuse, new york, plows are working overtime dealing with two consecutive days of snow this weekend. leaving this car stuck with no place to go. >> the weather was bad. the winds were blowing the cars around. you could see the semis were swerving. >> reporter: it's the city's first snowstorm of the season. many are bracing for more to come.

john schriffen, abc news, new york. >> with us tonight amy free our meteorologist from our affiliate here in new york. you have three things you're looking at. >> the first storm is in the northeast, it looks wet and white and will give some folks a white christmas. as it moves through washington, late tomorrow evening it will produce a tlint of snow. mainly the snow stay in central pennsylvania. and central new york, one to three inches possible there. along the i-95 corridor, mainly a little dusting. >> then severe weather in the south? >> yes, this is down in the gulf. the warm side could produce thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes. the cold side of that storm, before it leaves oklahoma city, could produce a white christmas. >> the third storm is a real biggie. >> it's a monster. a high impact storm moving on to the west coast, producing one to four inches of flooding rain for parts of california. into the sierras, feet of snow. snow riders will be really happy about that. as it pushes east, a lot of snow. anyone traveling through the

rockies, places like denver, could see several inches of snow. >> and it gets to the northeast. >> by the middle of the week it moves back to the northeast. that will have a ripple effect on travel for those trying to get home. >> so for people trying to get home or get rid of their relatives, it's going to be tricky. thank you very much. appreciate it. a more pressing concern for many of us tonight, last-minute shopping. look at this. as of days ago, one in seven americans hadn't even started shopping. a staggering 17 million people will still be scrambling for gifts tomorrow. many of them will go for lottery tickets and convenience store candy, but procrastination does have an up side. here's abc's nick watt. >> reporter: we've entered the final, hectic 30 hours of gift buying. you look quite stressed? >> i have anxiety right now. i'm not going to lie. i'm tripping out. i just want to make sure everyone's taken care of. >> reporter: there are crumbs of comfort. signs say the late gift just might be the best gift. number one -- frugality evaporates, you throw

money at the pressing problem and spend more. number two -- under pressure, you make gut instinct decisions. >> let's say you want to buy a sweater for your wife, if you think about it too much, you might outthink yourself and may not make a good choice. >> reporter: do you feel you perform best under pressure? >> absolutely. >> reporter: do you always do it last minute? >> absolutely, yes. that's the only way to do it. you have no more time, you have to make a good decision. >> reporter: ron claiborne started his shopping this morning. >> i could never get focused until the 23rd, the 24th, sometimes not until the 25th. >> reporter: see, he's making great choices. >> i want this one. >> reporter: stores stay open for the last-minute larrys. target is open until 10:00 p.m. christmas eve. walgreen's is open christmas day. >> reporter: are you a procrastinator by nature? >> kind of. >> reporter: good luck. it will be okay. >> thank you. another advantage of last minute, the sales have already begun. the late bird can catch the best worm.

nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> nick watt on the last-minute larrys. thanks, nick. looks like two former presidents from opposite sides of the planet will be spending christmas in the hospital. president george h.w. bush is still recovering from bronchitis. doctors say he needs to build up his energy before he can be released. doctors say nelson mandela, in the hospital now for two weeks is improving. he's 94 and recovering from a lung infection and gall stone surgery. also, queen elizabeth is a bit under the weather tonight, trying to get over a nasty cold before christmas. the 86-year-old had to skip church today, something that rarely happens. buckingham palace says she'll be back in church for services on christmas day. in newtown, connecticut on this sunday, church leaders were given standing ovations at the st. rose of lima catholic church. mon senior robert weiss was

thanked by his congregation for helping so many people through the horror of the sandy hook elementary school shootings. tonight we're noticing something very positive across the country in response to this story. here's mark greenblatt. >> reporter: an overwhelming river of giving now flows freely through the newtown post office. some send prayers, others much needed support. all the way from idaho, washington, and far beyond. >> i think i saw brazil, australia, anybody in newtown needs a hug. amazing. >> reporter: in the town hall, a mountain of donated toys is piling up just in time for christmas. even hurricane sandy victims are giving hundreds of teddy bears. >> basically we had so much help, we wanted to pay it forward and try to help somebody else. >> reporter: newtown wants others to pay it forward now in honor of the victims. from a secret santa in pennsylvania to new jersey, where kristin albright went shopping for ingredients to bake christmas cookies, only to find a target gift card hidden in her

cart with a note asking her to pay it forward in honor of sandy hook shooting victim catherine hubbard. >> it really made me stop. i was frozen. it made me think about that little girl. >> reporter: inspired, she paid it forward by giving the gift card to her bank teller after making a deposit. her 11-year-old son has began giving now too. how has this one act of kindness changed you? >> it really made me think of the bigger picture and family and friends and, you know, really extending the kindness to strangers as well. >> reporter: her hope, those moments of terror inspire you to -- 365 days of giving everywhere. mark greenblatt, abc news, new york. >> seeing the bigger picture. speaking of acts of kindness, we have the story tonight of an elaborately engineered surprise, involving a military mom, her sailor son, and a christmas wish. >> i'm so excited. my mom's like my best friend. i can't wait to see her. >> reporter: jeremy vogel, a sailor from hood river, oregon missed christmas with his mom

sue last year. this year she thinks he's stuck on the other side of the country in north carolina, prepping to return to afghanistan next month. >> she still thinks i'm there doing a fieldop. she thinks i'm in the field right now. >> reporter: the plan, to trick sue into showing up at this local restaurant run by a friend of the family. >> sue, this is gay at betty's. come on up. i have them ready for you. >> reporter: when sue shows up, local reporter emily from our local affiliate katu pretends she's doing a story about holiday desserts, like cinnamon rolls. >> they're delicious. >> reporter: sue buys it and pretty soon starts talking about her son. >> he's getting ready to go to afghanistan. >> he doesn't get to come home for christmas? >> not this year. hopefully next year. >> reporter: then, enter jeremy. >> merry christmas. >> hi, jeremy! you made it home!

this is my best present yet. >> reporter: sue's husband, who arranged this whole thing, said it almost fell through a couple times. in the end, though, an unqualified success. >> awesome. >> i love you. >> i love you too. >> our thanks to our affiliate katu for that story. sue's husband tells the station the reason he did this, she was in such a foul mood when she heard jeremy wasn't coming home, he had to do something. coming up here on "world news," fired for being too attractive. she fought back, thinking she had a very strong case. wait until you hear, though, what the all-male iowa supreme court had to say. questions?

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this is big news. five days later, i had a massive heart attack. bayer aspirin was the first thing the emts gave me. now, i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story. >> now to the story of a dental assistant in iowa whose boss fired her because she was too attractive. that's right. there were no accusations of dheeting or flirting. -- cheating. her only crime was looking too good. and the state's highest court has now sided with the boss. here's abc's tanya rivero. >> reporter: melissa nelson spent ten happy years working as a dental assistant, until she was fired because her boss said she was too tempting and a threat to his marriage. on friday, the all-male, iowa supreme court unanimously agreed -- dentist james knight was

justified when he fired an employee he saw as an irresistible attraction. >> i'm devastated. i really am. there's not an appeal. the state is as far as we can go. >> reporter: the decision is sparking much controversy. some employment attorneys are calling it a dangerous throwback. >> i wouldn't have been surprised if it was a decision written in 1970 by the characters of "mad men." >> reporter: the 32-year-old married mother of two says she saw her employer as a father figure and was shocked when dr. knight admits, even though she was great at her job, he couldn't be trusted around her. >> you know, after working so many years side by side, i didn't have any idea that that would have crossed his mind. >> reporter: according to court documents, knight referenced nelson's infrequent sex life,

saying that's like having a lamborghini in the garage and never driving it. and when the doctor's wife discovered him sending text messages to his assistant, it was his wife who demanded she be fired. nelson sued for gender discrimination. >> i think the women in iowa should probably start going to work in burkas for fear that their boss might find them sexually attractive and terminate them. >> reporter: dr. knight's lawyer gave abc news this statement -- "nelson was not terminated because of her gender, but to preserve the best interests of his marriage." >> it's sending a message that men can do whatever they want in the workforce. >> nelson's lawyer tells me they both received a huge outpouring of support with some even offering to pay legal costs. but after three long years of fighting, there can be no more appeals, since nelson alleged a violation of state law, dan, and not federal. >> it bears repeating, all the

judges, male. >> a unanimous decision. >> interesting, thank you. coming up next, a sharp left turn into much lighter territory. we defy you to find cuter video than this. what's going on? the explanation coming up in the instant index on this sunday evening. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision,

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magazine. you'll see it on news stands tomorrow. after 80 years, the magazine now switching to an entirely online format. they tweeted out this picture today. santa claus caught in a hi-tech competition. norad has been tracking santa's journey from the north pole every christmas eve since 1955. this year, google is horning in. google maps will be tracking st. nick, as will an app on the android devices. no word on which technology santa himself will be using. now to our video and we picked this one solely because it's certainly cute. this is a baby panda getting a check-up at the san diego zoo. i could watch this for hours, but we only have a few seconds. enjoy it while it lasts. the panda's name, xiao liwu, means "little gift" in mandarin. that green ball right there is his favorite toy. his handlers use it to test the animal's coordination. we want to hear from you. if something catches your eye,

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finally tonight, most of us are on a budget for the holidays, but celebrities, titans of industry, and lottery lottery winners and dictators of small countries, there's a special holiday catalog that includes some items that blew our minds. check it out. it is called, simply enough, "the christmas book," an annual catalog put out by the high end retailer neiman marcus. inside you can find fantasy gifts like a $50,000 personal blimp, his and hers robots, and even a flying car at the bargain price of $3.5 million. >> it's just fun to go through and say, i'd love to have this and that. ♪ it's a hard knock life for us ♪ ♪ it's a hard knock life for us ♪ >> this year, you can buy a walk-on role in the broadway hit, annie, a $350,000 sports car, or this. a real-life jet pack.

has anybody guyed doing this? -- has anybody ever died doing this? >> it can take you 30 feet in the air at 30 miles an hour. this guy can do twists, turn, barrel rolls and dive bombs. >> when i tried it, however, i inched along about five feet above the water. >> very nice, perfect. now center out. good. >> can i find an atm and withdraw $100,000? >> for more risk averse people on your shopping list, there's a $100,000 hen house. >> this looks like the french poodle of hens. here they can cluck around with a living room and boudoir all modeled on the palace of versailles. is something like this a bit wasted on chickens? the chandelier, the artwork, is there any evidence they'll lay better eggs? >> no, but you as the farmer will be inspired.

>> actually they do lay colored eggs. green and red. i tried one. that's really good. that's really good. i would definitely pay $100,000 for that egg. >> actually, probably not and nobody's actually purchased one of those fancy chicken coops yet, but they do tell us they have had two inquiries from interested parties. that's going to do it for us at abc "world news." we're always online at abcnews.com. be sure to watch gma first thing in the morning and i will be right back here tomorrow night. for all of us here at abc news, thank you for watching and goodnight.

>> next at 6:00, a slow-moving storm causing major problems in the bay area. and in the north bay, sink hole forces a road to shut down. we're tracking the storm right now on live doppler 7hd. abc-7 news at 6:00 starts now. sink holes and serious flooding as a second storm moves through, causing problems across the bay area. this is a live look outside right now, where you can see the rain -- well, can't really tell but the rain is still coming down and the roads are wet everywhere. we have team coverage on storm

watch. sergio quintana is live. cor cornell bernard is in smoke sonoma county, and we beginning with leigh glaser. >> leigh: the storm began in the north bay, heavy rain and wind, and now has slid to the south bay. some moderate rain just in the last hour near fremont, hay werd, san jose, but you can see much of the activity is starting to slide the south and east of the bay area, still getting moderate rainfall to the south of san jose, you can see near campbell. los gatos, even santa cruz, some moderate rain. i want to tell you about santa cruz. we have a flashflood warning up for the season mateo and santa cruz county. the pesca dare row creek --'s ca dare row creek is at float stage. the russian river right